Collapsible piling



May 5, 1964 J. J. DOUGHERTY COLLAPSIBLE FILING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 5, 1960 INVENTOR. JOHN J DouqHERTY HTTORNEY May 5, 1964 J. .1.DOUGHERTY COLLAPSIBLE FILING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1960 a: 6 2ar m 2 MM 6 5 ME M 2 S y 2 I J D uqHERTY FI'TTORNEY A JoH/v m "L LUnited States Patent 3,131,543 CQLLAPSIBLE HLING John .1. Daugherty,Cedar Grove, NJ. (262 Rutherford Blvd., Clifton, NJ.) Filed Dec. 5,1960, Ser. No. 73,677 1 Claim. (Cl. 61-535) This invention relatesgenerally to piling and more particularly to an improved collapsible andsectionalized sheet metal pile casing.

Piles are used to support or to form foundations for structures such asbuildings, tanks, bridges, conduits, piers, wharves, etc. by insertingthem into or through the yielding surface strata far enough to obtain asolid support for the principal structure. Such piles often areconstituted by metal tubular casings.

Such tubular piles are generally very long and heavy and one of theproblems involved in their use is that of transport ng the pile to thesite and of unloading and handling the pile. The dimensions of the pileneeded sometimes are so large that it is impractical or impossible tofabricate the pile casing in a manufacturing plant and ship it by theusual carrier to the site at which it is to be used. This is due to thefact that bridge clearances, tunnel sizes, track spacings and otherfactors all operate to limit the size of articles which can be shippedover any given route. Suchoperations are also costly.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide acollapsible and sectionalized pile casing that may be readilytransported to the site, easily handled at the site and readilyinstalled. This greatly simplifies the shipping and installation of verylong pile casings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible andsectionalized pile casing that can be readily driven by a mandrel ofordinary construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pile casingthat is economical to manufacture, rugged in construction and highlyefficient for the purposes intended.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the accompanying drawingsand to the description thereof to follow.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a pile casing embodying myinvention, the casing being shown in collapsed condition, parts beingbroken away.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the pile casing inexpanded condition, parts being broken away.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing one step in the operation, aportion of a driving mandrel being shown in dotdash lines.

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing another step in the operation.

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing a further step in the operation.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are fragmentary sectional views of tionalized beingcomposed of three sections 12, 14 and 16, all ofthe sections being openat both ends. As seen in FIG. 4, the section 12 is wider in diameterthan the adjacent section 14, and section 14 is wider in diameter thanthe adjacent section 16. The three sections are arranged in telescopingfashion. The top section 12 as viewed inFIG. 4 is formed with an annularoutwardly protruding radial flange 20 at the top open end, and with aninwardly protruding radial flange 22 at the bottom end thereof. Theflanges may be welded to the end edges of the tubular section 12 asindicated at 24.

Tubular section 14 slidably fits through the bottom opening in section12 and past the flange 22. Section 14 is formed with an annularoutwardly protruding radial flange 26 at the top; of its top open end,the flange 26 projecting outwardly over the bottom flange 22 on section12 and adapted to seat on said bottom flange as viewed in FIG. 4. Thebottom open end of the section 14 is formed with an annular inwardlyprojecting radial flange 28. The flanges 26 and 28 are welded to thesection 14 in a manner similar to the flanges 20 and 22.

The third section 16 is sufficiently narrow to permit it to slidefittingly through the bottom open end of the section 14. An annularoutwardly protruding radial flange 30 is formed on the top open end ofthe section 16 and projects sufliciently outward to overlap and seat onthe bottom flange 28 of the section 14 when the sections are extended asshown in FIG. 4.

A pile driving tip or point 32 is carried by the bottom open end of thecasing section 16. The tip or point is made preferably of cast steel butmay be made of other suitable material such as cast iron or other metalsor alloyed metals. The point has a dish shaped body 34 open at the topand tapering downwardly and inwardly to a blunt point 36 at the bottomend. The body 34 is formed with an upstanding collar or flange 413 atthe top, which collar is spaced inwardly from the outer surface of thebody thereby forming a shoulder 42. The outer circumferential shoulder42 is adapted to receive the open end 44 of the section 16 of the pilecasing. The collar is slightly tapered to permit the bottom end of thepile section 16 to slide over the collar until the end of the section isproperly seated on shoulder 42.

The sections 12, 14 and 16 of the pile casing are assembled at themanufacturing plant so that the sections are adapted to assume atelescopic or nested condition as shown in FIG. 3. When in this nestedcondition, the pile casing assumes the dimensions of the dimensions ofthe outermost pile section 16 plus the length of the body of the pilepoint 32. In this collapsed condition, the pile casing can readily belifted onto any desired form of vehicle and transported to the site.

In operation, the pile casing in collapsed condition as shown in FIG. 3is placed on the ground at the site as shown in FIG. 6 with the point 32contacting the ground. A mandrel such as shown diagrammatically at '46in FIG. 7 is lifted above the pile casing by a crane or the like. Themandrel is of ordinary construction having a tapered body with fourstepped shoulders 48, 5d, 52 and 54. The mandrel is next lowered intothe pile casing until its nose 56 strikes the pile point 32.Simultaneously, the shoulder 52 strikes the flange 30 of the pilesection 16 thereby driving .said section 16 with the point 32 into theground as shown in FIG. 6. Continued downward drive of the mandrel willbring its shoulder 50 into striking engagement with the annular flange26 of pile section 14. driving the section 14 into the ground, andcontinued downward drive of the mandrel will bring its shoulder 48 intostriking engagement with the annular flange 24 of the pile section 12driving the section 12 into the ground. When the piling has been driveninto the ground, the mandrel may be lifted out of the pile casing by thecrane.

In FIG. 8, a modified form of joint is shown between two pile sections,such as for example sections 12' and 14'. In this joint the bottomflange 22' of sections 12' is depressed centrally forming an annularrecess 60 in the top surface of the flange. The top flange 26' of thesection 14' is similarly centrally recessed forming an undulation 62complementary to the recess 60 and fitting therein, thereby forming aseal thereat.

The modified form of joint shown in FIG. 9 is similar to the joint shownin FIG. 8 except that the annular flange 22" on section 12" is curvedadjacent its outer free end edge forming an upwardly projecting annularhead 64, and the annular flange 26" of section 14" is curved adjacentits outer free end edge forming an annular recess 66 in its bottomsurface coacting with the bead 64 to form a seal thereat.

In the modified joint shown in FIG. 10, the annular flange 22 on section12 is bent downwardly and then laterally parallel to section 12 asindicated at 68 providing a seat for the angular flange 26 on section 14which is formed with an upstanding flange 70 thereby providing a seal atthis point.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that changes in details of constructionmight be made Without departing from the principle of the invention.

I claim:

A collapsible pile casing having a sectionalized tapered body, thesections being tubular and telescopically arranged for sliding movementsrelative to each other and said sections being of gradually increaseddiameters in an outward direction, a pile point carried by the innermostone of the tubular body sections, said pile point having a hollow bodytapering to a point at one end and open at its other end, said other endhaving a collar receiving the lower end of the innermost tubularsection, an outwardly projecting flange member on the upper ends of theinner sections and an upwardly directed cylindrical extension on theouter edges of each flange member, an inwardly projecting flange on thelower ends of the tubular sections outwardly of the innermost sectionand having a downwardly extending section at the inner edges thereofterminating in an inwardly directed annular section forming a seat forthe flange member of the respective adjacent inner tubular section andto form a seal between the adjacent tubular sections when extended.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,769,774 Denise et al. July 1, 1930 1,839,304 Finlay et al. Jan. 5,1932 1,997,312 Satre Apr. 9, 1935 2,342,243 Brizay Feb. 22, 19442,693,087 Quillinan Nov. 2, 1954 2,924,949 Smith Feb. 16, 1960 FOREIGNPATENTS 38,460 7 Norway Nov. 26, 1923

